1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for and a method of recognizing characters in text images read by an image scanner, and to a computer readable medium encoded with processing instructions to implement a character recognition method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a character recognition device, a method of character recognition and a computer readable medium encoded with processing instructions to implement a character recognition method which allow a user to efficiently determine erroneously read characters in the character recognition results.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is currently a need for electronic recognition and storage of text to make the work flow in offices more efficient. To perform the electronic recognition and storage of the text, the text is read by an image scanner to convert the text to an electronic form, character recognition is performed and erroneously read characters are revised through manual input.
However, there is currently no technology available that enables character recognition devices to perform completely error-free character recognition. As a result, a cumbersome process is required to detect the erroneously read characters when conventional character recognition operations are carried out. Specifically, text that is to be electronically processed is read with an image scanner, character recognition is performed, erroneously read characters are detected manually, and the text is then further processed electronically by manually inputting revisions to the erroneously read characters. The user detects the erroneously read characters by comparing the text that is to be electronically processed with the text recognition results that have been processed by the character recognition device.
There is currently no support technology available in the prior art to ensure that the types of operations described above to detect erroneously read characters can be carried out efficiently.
A conventional character recognition device uses a method with the highest possible degree of character recognition accuracy when text that is to be electronically processed is read with an image scanner, character recognition is performed and the text is electronically processed by revising the erroneously read characters using manual input.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H7-114620 discloses a character recognition device which performs character recognition with a high recognition rate. More particularly, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H7-114620 discloses a character recognition device and method wherein handwritten characters input using a stylus pen or the like are recognized using multiple character recognition programs respectively using different recognition methods. The characters having the highest evaluation value out of those characters recognized by the character recognition program are determined to be “recognized characters”. The multiple recognition character candidates are determined in the order of highest evaluation value and passed on to an application program.
In accordance with the conventional character recognition device, when text that is not electronically processed is read by an image scanner and character recognition of the text is performed, the user then detects the erroneously read characters by comparing the text prior to electronic processing with the recognition results after electronic processing, and the text is then electronically processed by revising the erroneously read characters.
However, the above-described conventional character recognition technology results in problems in that the operations required are extremely burdensome. In particular, the user has to search for the erroneously read characters by visually comparing each character of the text to be electronically processed with each character of the text recognition results recognized by the character recognition device.